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Posted: January 5, 2010

Nanostart Increases Investment in Cleantech Company Namos GmbH

(Nanowerk News) Nanostart AG, a leading nanotechnology investment company, is raising its shareholding in Namos GmbH, the pioneering cleantech developer based in the eastern German city of Dresden, from 15 to 26 percent. The ERP Start Fund, which is a joint program of the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the German government-owned development bank, and the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, is likewise increasing its shareholding.

Marco Beckmann, CEO of Nanostart AG, commented on the investment increase: “The technology from Namos is nothing short of revolutionary. It substantially reduces the consumption of precious metals, thus saving enormous costs in the production of catalytic converters. With more than one quarter of this company now belonging to Nanostart, we are in an extremely favorable position.”

The new technology developed by Namos should enable the savings of about one half of all precious metals currently required for the production of automotive catalytic converters. The proprietary process from Namos is based on a bionanotechnological coating which is applied to the ceramic substrate used in catalytic converters. Approx. 230 metric tons of “new,” non-recycled precious metals are currently consumed each year to produce automotive catalytic converters, corresponding to an annual value of USD 8.3 billion. Roughly half of this amount, more than USD 4 billion, could be saved through the new technology from Namos.

The additive used in the process can be produced at minimal cost using bionanotechnology. Because it does not remain in the finished catalytic converters, it cannot have any negative long-term effects. It contains no harmful chemicals and has a shelf life of several years.

About Namos

Namos GmbH develops highly innovative coatings based on aqueous solutions, with a focus on nanostructured surfaces which offer uniquely advantageous characteristics. Rather than producing these with a large number of complex process steps, these are produced using biomolecules which use their inherent “intelligence” to organize themselves in certain ways into the desired structures. The company has long maintained intensive contacts with leading-edge research centers, particularly within the area of Dresden. The customers and cooperation partners of Namos include renowned major corporations as well as smaller and specialized companies.

About Nanostart

Nanostart AG is the world’s leading nanotechnology investment company. The Frankfurt-based company provides venture capital financing for nanotechnology companies in various growth phases. It also provides the benefits of its experience and expertise to developers of financial instruments and to investors in the nanotechnology sector.